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Big Year Records Busted in 2014
Dorian Anderson’s year wasn’t the only impressive Big Year performance this year. In at least two states, long-standing Big Year records fell in 2014 and those birders are deserving of some congratulations themselves for what is certainly a hard-won honor.
In Arizona, Green Valley guide Laurens Halsey capped off what started as a personal attempt to reach 400 in the state for the year with a grand total of 413. His final bird of the year was a Red-necked Grebe near Phoenix, but over the course of the year he saw all but 21 of the species reported to eBird in Arizona in 2014, a impressive clip to be sure.
Halsey, at left, chronicled his year at The Desert Harrier.
And in California, the friendly competition between Curtis Marantz of Riverside and 17 year old Logan Kahle of San Francisco ended with Marantz ending the year with 485 species, just edging the previous record of 481 set in 1996. Kahle ended just shy of the old record, with a strong 470.
Soon after the new year, as the totals became final, the San Francisco Gate published a nice article about Marantz and Kahle, putting each of their efforts in perspective. It’s well worth a read.
Congrats to Laurens and Curtis for setting new marks in their respective states! And to Logan as well, for making a big splash as a teen birder.
I hadn’t heard of any other state or provincial Big Years breaking records this year. If you know of one I’d missed, please leave it in the comments.
Join the American Birding Association at www.aba.org!
Source: http://blog.aba.org/2015/01/big-year-records-busted-in-2014.html
